While with the Saskatoon Blades, each player is encouraged to attend school, either at the high school or post-secondary level. With ongoing assistance from the Club’s Education Advisor, Kim Hebert, each player is able to select courses that will best enable them to reach their educational goals.

Players in high school attend Marion M. Graham Collegiate and are provided tutors if needed. Supervision by our Education Advisor assures that all courses taken at Marion Graham are fully transferable to the player’s home high school. The educational goal for all high school students playing in the WHL is to graduate on time with their peers at their home high school.

Players who have graduated from high school are able to take University courses at the University of Saskatchewan located in Saskatoon or they can select on-line courses through Athabasca University with tuition costs covered by the Blades. The WHL and AU entered into an agreement which allows all players and staff of the WHL to enrol in courses for a pre-determined rate. Athabasca University courses provide students the opportunity for flexible start and finish dates.

All WHL clubs are governed by League Educational Standards that ensure players complete their high school in a timely and successful fashion. All players’ grades are monitored closely by the team Education Advisor, the coaching staff and the school counsellors. If necessary players receive tutoring or assistance to ensure they perform to their full potential. All costs associated with the players’ education whether they are enrolled in high school or post-secondary courses are covered by the Saskatoon Blades.

“WHL players are outstanding students. Many graduate from High School with Honours standing.”

The WHL provides the top young hockey talent in the west with the opportunity to develop their skills on the ice at the highest possible level, without compromising their academic goals.

Each WHL Club’s Education Advisor, along with the WHL Director of Education Services, tracks the academic progress of all players throughout the season. While playing in the WHL, players receive financial assistance for education expenses such as high school tutoring or fees for post-secondary courses, to ensure players reach their academic potential.

While a player’s primary on-ice goal is to win the WHL Championship and compete for the storied Memorial Cup, it is equally important for that player to set his sights on academic success as well. WHL Club’s are governed by League-wide Education Standards that ensure players complete their high school in timely fashion and achieve the highest level of academic success possible.

The WHL is committed to recognizing academic excellence. Awards are presented annually to the WHL’s Scholastic Player and Scholastic Team of the Year.

“Each year, the WHL awards over 400 scholarships to current and graduate players to attend a post secondary institution of their choice in North America.”

The WHL recognizes the paramount importance that parents and players place on education. That is why the WHL and Canada West Universities have teamed up to provide – Western Canada’s Premiere Hockey Scholarship.

For every season a player plays in the WHL, they receive a full year guaranteed Scholarship, including tuition, textbooks and compulsory fees, to a post-secondary institution of their choice. For example, players graduating from a four-year WHL career are eligible to receive four years of scholarship funding. The WHL Scholarship, combined with additional financial assistance from Universities in Western Canada, makes the WHL – Canada West Universities joint scholarship equivalent to any other offer available in North America today.

Since 1993, Western Hockey League Clubs have provided close to 3,000 Scholarships representing an investment in excess of $9 million, making the WHL the leading provider of hockey scholarships in Western Canada.

The WHL Scholarship not only encourages its graduates to pursue a post-secondary education, it also affords graduates the opportunity to continue playing hockey at an elite level in the Canadian University or College systems. Each year over 275 WHL graduates receive a WHL Scholarship.“WHL graduates make up the majority of players on the rosters of teams in the Canada West University Conference.”

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